Cement mixer



June 10, 1 958 'c. A. PEEBLES 4 Sheets 1 Filed Nov. 24, 1954 .0 mam QW M W GM h u B Y June-1051958 I c. A. PEEBLES ,83 9

CEMENT MIXER Filed Nov. 24, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 9 I 2. I z

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CEMENT MIXER Filed NOV. 24, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 1m] I u nhIinIW Unite Stalks Pate t to CEMENT MIXER Chad A. Peebles, Newaygo, Mich. Application November 24, 1954', Serial No. 470,935 12 Claims. or. 259-477 This invention relates to cement mixers of the type comprising various suitable attachments by means of which an ordinary oil drum may be converted into a rotating mixer. It may be conveniently sold as a do it yourself kit which will enable an inexperienced person to build a cement mixer with few ordinary tools and using a used oil drum as the rotating mixing cylinder.

When completed, the drum is mounted for rotation on its axis by a small electric motor and is hung so that it will contain the material to be mixed or may be tipped to dump the contents into a conveyance such as a wheelbarrow.

The same parts may be used to rotatably mount a cylinder having a perforated or foraminous side wall to be used as a gravel screen and in such case the cylinder may be without ends so that gravel thrown therein will have its finer parts sifted through the drum and the larger stones will pass out the lower end of the cylinder.

The invention provides various new and useful features of construction and arrangement hereafter more fully described, reference being had to the accompanying draw ings in which,

Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the mixer,

Fig. 2 is an end elevation of the mixer looking at the open end of the drum,

Fig. 3 is an enlarged fragmentary sectional elevation of a part of the closed end of the mixer,

Fig. 4 is a fragmentary sectional plan on the line 4--'4 of Fig. 3,

Fig. 5 is a fragmentary sectional elevation on the line 5 -5 of Fig. 1,

Fig. 6 is a side elevation of the mixer showing a modified means for suspending the mixer,

Figs. 7l3 show a modified form of structure using ordinary iron pipe and fittings for the framework of the structure,

Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the mixer,

Fig. 8 is a fragmentary front elevation of the same,

Fig. 9 is a fragmentary plan view of the motor and suspension structure,

Fig. 10 is an enlarged fragmentary elevation, partly in section, showing details of construction,

Fig. 11 is an elevation of the rear end of the drum, on the line 1111 of Fig. 10, showing the end mounting structure,

Fig. 12 is a fragmentary cross section on the line 12-12 of Fig. 10, and

Fig. 13 is a fragmentary inverted plan on the line 13-13 of Fig. 10.

Like numbers refer to like parts in all of the figures.

The structure of Figs. l-6 has a back member 1 which is preferably elongated channel shape. A hanger 2 is rigidly connected to the back 1 near its rear end and depends therefrom and is provided at its lower end with means for rotatably supporting the closed end of the drum 3.

Ashaft 4 is located under the back 1 being rotatably,

supported in bearing blocks 5 and 6 attached to the forward and rear ends of the back. At its forward end the shaft 4 is provided with a grooved pulley 7 and an endless belt 8 passes over the pulley 7 and extends around the drum 3 near its forward end and serves as a means both for rotatably supporting the forward end of the drum and for rotating it. A small electric motor 9 is mounted on the back 1 near its rear end and has a pulley It), a belt 11 passing around the pulley 10 and a pulley 12 fixed to the rear end of the shaft 4.

A cross bar 13 is located near the forward end of the back 1 and at its respective ends brackets 14 carry wheels 15 which bear against the upper side of the drum 3 at opposite sides of the center thereof. The wheels 15 are preferably rubber tired and guide the drum 3 in its rotation. The cross bar 13 is attached to the back 1 by angle brackets 16 extending upwardly at opposite sides of the back 1 and have vertical seats 17 through which clamping bolts 18 extend. An adjusting screw 19 is threaded through the back 1 and bears against the cross bar 13 and is used to force the cross bar downwardly thus thrusting the drum 3 away from the back 1 and tightening the belt 8.

The bottom 29, or closed end of the drum 3 is left intact and a ring 21 surrounds this end of the drum and is attached thereto by clamping screws 22 spaced around the ring. The ring is closed by an end member 23 of suitable material and at its center, which is also the axis of the drum 3, a stub shaft 24 projects rearwardly. The stub shaft 24 is attached to the end member 23 by suitable means such as disks 25 and 26 which are attached to opposite sides of the end member as by welding, and the stub shaft 24 is welded to the disks.

The st'ub shaft 24 is journaled in a bearing block 27, collars 28 and 29 being fixed to the shaft at opposite sides of the block. The block 27 is seated in a pocket formed in the lower end of the hanger 2 which is vertical channel shaped, the walls of the channel forming three sides of the pocket. An angle plate 30 extends across the bottom of the channel 2 and partly up the open side thereof, forming the bottom of the pocket and a partial inner side thereof. A bar 31 is fastened in the channel above the bearing block 27.

When the shaft 24 is in correct operating position ex tending outwardly at right angles to the hanger 2, the bearing block 27 is held in place in its pocket but if the front end of the drum 3 should drop, as by the belt breaking or running off the pulley 7, the bearing block 27 will tip outwardly from the pocket and no harm will be done. A handle 32 is attached to the bearing block 27 for convenience in manipulating it into place. The top and bottom edges of the bearing block may be chamfered to permit it to tip in the pocket.

The back member 1 is providedbetween its ends with trunnions 33 which are hung in the loops of cables 34 which cables are hung from a suitable overhead support.

As previously stated, this structure is intended to use a standard oil drum for the mixing cylinder, such used drums being available in most localities at a low cost. The top head is completely removed which is all the preparation necessary unless it is desired to attach bafile plates 35 on the inside of the drum to increase agitation of the mixture. Those drums are of substantially uniform size, such small variations in size as may exist being accommodated by the adjustability of the parts. The exact length of the drum is not important. Small differences in diameter are accommodated by the adjustability' of the clamping screws 22 and the cross bar 13 which carries the wheels 15.

When set up for use, the bottom end of the drum will tilt downwardly. This is caused partly by the weight of the motor 9 and also by the weight of the material which is thrown into the drum. When loaded, the motor 9 is energized which rotates the shaft 4 and the drum 3. When the material has been sufliciently mixed, the open end of the drum is tilted downward by means of a hand lever 36 and the material will flow out of the drum by gravity into whatever receptacle is placed below it.

A hand lever 36 may be suitably attached to the frame at the forward end of the back member 1 or to the hanger 2 by means of which the drum may be tipped as desired.

The modification of Fig. 6 shows a different kind of support for the structure. In this arrangement, the whole structure is turned upside down and the trunnions 33 are supported in a suitable standard 37. When so mounted, the wheels 15 become the rotatable support for the forward end of the drum. Otherwise, the action is substantially the same.

The structure shown in Figs. 7-13 is of the same nature as that aforedescribed excepting that standard iron pipe and fittings are used in the frame work and the stub shaft is mounted and attached to the drum differently.

The back member 40 is an iron pipe threaded at its opposite ends. A cross 41 is screwed onto the rear end of the pipe and a T 42 is screwed onto the downward end of the pipe. Bushings 43 and 44 are screwed into the cross 41 and the T 42 respectively in alignment with the pipe 40, the main shaft 4 extending longitudinally through the pipe and having bearings in the bushings 43 and 44 which are reamed to proper size to fit the shaft. The shaft 4 projects at its opposite ends from the bushings and has the pulleys 7 and 12 mounted on it.

A plug or bushing 45 is screwed into the upward opening of the T 42 and has the threaded stud 46 extending upwardly from it and the cross bar 13, which carries the wheels 15 at its ends, has a central opening through which the stud 46 passes. A wing nut 47 threaded onto the stud 46 bears against the cross bar 13 and presses the wheels against the drum. Guides 48 fixed to the under side of the cross bar 13 straddle the T 42 and serve to properly align the cross bar 13.

The handle 36 is mounted in a fitting 49 which is welded to the T 42 and a suspension ring 50 is also welded to the T 42.

A base pad 51 to support the motor 9 is mounted at its forward end in a channel member 52 connected to the upper side of the pipe 40 by a block 53 as by welding. The rear end of the pad 51 is mounted in a channel 54 which extends transversely of the frame and is welded to the upper side of the cross 41. Suspension rings 55 are suitably connected to the opposite ends of the channel 54. Cables 56 and 57 connect the rings 50 and 55 with a hook 58 suspended from a cable 59 which is hung from an overhead structure. This form of suspension permits the mechanism and drum to be tilted at will.

The hanger member 60 is a pipe which has its upper end screwed into the downward opening of the cross 42. The support for the stub shaft 24 comprises a plate 61 welded to the lower end of the pipe 60 and having an upturned flange 62, and a plate 63 welded to the side of the pipe and having a forwardly turned flange 64 at its upper end. A short channel 65 is removably inserted into the pocket formed by the plates and flanges 61, 62, 63, and 64 and is provided with a bearing bushing 66 through which the stub shaft 24 rotatably extends, being held in place by the collars 28 and 29. If the drum is re leased at its forward end it may tip downwardly rocking the channel 65 out of its pocket. The handle 32 is welded to opposite sides of the channel 65.

In this structure the stub shaft 24 is rigidly fixed in a central mounting plate or disk 67. This disk has a plurality, such as four, radial prongs 68 each threaded into the disk 67 and each provided with a wrench head 69 by which it may be turned. The outer ends of the prongs 68 are pointed and by screwing them outwardly they are forced into tight engagement with the inner periphery of the rear end of the drum 3, or the flange of 4 the head 20 thereof, thus firmly anchoring the disk 67 and stub shaft 24 to the rear end of the drum.

The operation of the structure of Figs. 7-13 is substantially the same as that of Figs. 1-5. The motor 9 drives the pulley 12 which rotates the shaft 4. The belt 8 passing over the pulley 7 and around the drum 3 rotates the drum and supports its forward end. The rear end of the drum is rotatably supported by the stub shaft 24 carried by the channel member 65 which may tip out of its pocket if the forward end of the drum is released. The drum being suspended on the cables 56 and 57 from the hook 58 may be tilted at will to the desired angle to either process its contents or to dump the same.

The invention is defined by the appended claims which are to be considered comprehensive of all forms coming within their scope.

I claim:

1. The combination with a drum having an open forward end and a rear end, of a frame having a back member, a shaft rotatably supported on said back member, means for rotating the shaft, a pulley on said shaft near the forward end of the drum, an endless belt passing over said pulley and around said drum, an attachment on said drum adjacent its rear end including a stub shaft in substantial alignment with the axis of the drum, means for rotatably supporting said stub shaft on said frame, means for tiltably supporting said back member, and guide means mounted on said back member near the upper forward end of the drum and rotatably engaging the exterior of the wall of drum.

2. The elements of claim 1 in which said means for rotatably supporting said stub shaft includes a frame member located adjacent said rear end of the drum, a pocket on said frame member and a bearing member detachably mounted in said pocket, said stub shaft being journaled in said bearing member.

3. The elements of claim 2 in which said bearing member is detached from said pocket by tilting the axis of the stub shaft relative to the frame.

4. The elements of claim 1 in which said attachment includes a ring surrounding the drum, clamping means on said ring engaging the wall of the drum and an end member on said ring, said stub shaft being attached to said end member at the axis of the ring.

5. The elements of claim 1 in which said guide means comprises a bar, a wheel mounted on said bar, said wheel rolling on the periphery of the drum, and adjustable means for connecting said bar to said back member.

6. The combination with a drum having a forward end and a rear end, of a frame having a back member comprising a length of pipe, a pipe fitting at the rear end of the pipe, a bearing in each end of the pipe, a shaft journaled in said bearings and extending through said pipe and projecting from said bearings, means mounted on said frame for rotating said shaft, a hanger member comprising a length of pipe connected with the fitting at the rear end of said back member and extending downwardly therefrom, a stub shaft mounted on said drum and extending axially therefrom at its rear end, means for rotatably supporting said stub shaft on said hanger member, a pulley fixed to the forward end of the first named shaft, and an endless belt passing over said pulley and around said drum near its forward end and rotatably supporting the forward end of the drum.

7. The elements of claim 6 combined with means for tiltably supporting said frame.

8. The combination with a drum having a forward end and a rear end, of a frame, a shaft journaled on said frame, means mounted on the frame for rotating said shaft, a pulley fixed to said shaft, an endless belt passing over said pulley and around the forward part of said drum, said belt rotatably supporting the forward end of the drum, a mounting plate located near the rear end of the drum, a plurality of prongs threaded into said mounting plate and extending radially therefrom, the

5 outer ends of said prongs engaging the inner periphery of the drum, a stub shaft extending axially from said mounting plate, and means for rotatably mounting said stub shaft on said frame.

9. The elements of claim 8 in which the means for rotatably mounting the stub shaft comprises, a' pocket formed on said frame, and a bearing member in which said stub shaft is journalled, said bearing member being removably supported in said pocket.

10. The elements of claim 9 in which said bearing member is removed from said pocket by tilting the axis of the stub shaft relative to the frame.

11. The combination with a drum having a forward end and a rear end, of a frame having a back member downwardly therefrom, a stub shaft mounted on said drum and extending axially therefrom at its rear end, means for rotatably supporting said stub shaft on said hanger member, a pulley fixed to the forward end of the first named shaft, and an endless belt passing over said pulley and around said drum near its forward end and rotatably supporting the forward end of the drum.

12. The elements of claim 11 combined with guide means mounted on said frame and movably engaging said drum near its forward end.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 801,442 Crossley Oct. 10, 1905 1,223,385 Hamel Apr. 24, 1917 1,475,904 Vandenplas Nov. 27, 1923 2,456,285 Kamper Dec. 14, 1948 2,552,855 Johnston May 15, 1951 2,599,852 McClain June 10, 1952 2,683,026 Preszler July 6, 1954 

